Monday 20th January 2014

VW Golf GTI 25th Anniversary: PH Carpool

Golf-mad PHer bids a public farewell to his much loved 25th Anniversary GTI

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Name: Matthew Mellor/Louise Ellison
Car: 2002 VW Golf GTI 25th Anniversary 1.8T
Owned Since: May 2012
Previously owned: Golf GTI Mk4

Why we bought it:
"We'd hacked around in an old 2.0 8V Mk4 for a while and we loved the car but wanted something newer, quicker, cleaner and a little bit more special so to speak. Basically we wanted an R32 but at the time I was doing a 90 miles a day commute making R32 ownership a little impractical, so we settled on an anniversary, it just had to be red..."

Engine tough, other parts sadly less so

What we wish we'd have known:
"The 1.8T engine is reputed to be bombproof, and that it is, it's just everything else around it that seems to have a 10-year shelf life."

Things we love:
"The subtlety of it, the fact that it looks like any other Golf but you can still tell there's something a little special about it. The interior, all the little things like the black headlining, brushed trim, the wheels and of course, the drive."

Things we hate:
"The interior, the black headlining, the brushed trim and the wheels! Anni' parts command a small fortune on eBay/forums and a lot are discontinued at the dealers and as such any journey is completed on egg shells as to avoid any potential wear to items limited to this model!"

Costs so far:
"A new clutch/flywheel/slave cylinder about a month after buying it, regular servicing costs, tyres, and a few little bits such as the Eibach springs just to sit it a little lower to the ground and give it a more purposeful look. Other than that we've been pretty lucky really. A few engine items such as sensors are the only continual expense due to its age/mileage."

A sought after special for the GTI crowd

Where we've been:
"Well driving it back from West Sussex was a road trip in itself what with traffic. We've been to various VW weekends such as BugJam and that's about it really, most of the time it's being used for daily duties or sitting on the drive. Every mile we have completed however, has been an absolute blast!"

What next:
"It's for sale! I've got an M135i itch to scratch and so now that my signature has graced a dotted line I'll be giving her a spruce up and sticking her up on the PH classifieds. It's a sad fact as it's been a very faithful little hot hatch but I just can't resist some Bavarian metal!"

 

[RMGTI25]

These are fantastic cars! Styling is soo subtle and a nice touch. I can vouch for parts being a mission to come across, I've been waiting for the VW centre caps for nearly 6 months!

[j_s14a]

I've never really got why these MKIV 'Anni's' have such a following.

Granted, they are a great looking car, and come with some of the nicest factory fitted wheels going, and the interior is even pretty nice. But, they are very poor dynamically, the steering is vague and lifeless, and the gear change is incredibly average.

The MKIV was the worst generation of Golf GTi, and the Anniversay was really the best of a bad bunch.

[epom]

Ah the Diesel was something else when it came out, really started the quick diesel on the road imo. Lovely car would love a nice diesel one.

[B.J.W]

I had a Mk4 Golf GTi from new in 2002. If I recall, as an import model it came with 180 bhp as opposed to the UK spec 150 bhp. It was a lovely car; looked great in reflex silver and the interior felt like a class (or two) above.

Handling was a touch vague, a decent set of tyres transformed that, but I'd wager that the majority of people who say they are rubbish have never owned one.

Ironically, an issue with the turbo led to its sale - I stupidly traded it in against a mk5 golf on a whim. The Mk5 was sold a year later.

[Alfa159Ti]

I've always loved the MK4. They were just such a huge leap on from their predecessor in the quality department and I think the styling is just so right with clean lines very pleasing to the eye. The bigger wheels and subtle body styling on the Anni's just took them to another level visually, particularly when you consider what else was around at the time. They still look handsome and modern now IMO.

I owned a 170 bhp V5 and it was a lovely daily. High revving and smooth (particularly after a remap sorted out a well known flat spot) with one of the best raspy exhaust notes I have ever heard. The interior was mega quality - great stereo, firm supportive seats, lots of gadgets and heated seats that were so hot passengers sometimes though they might of had an 'accident'!

The handling was however shockingly bad in the twisties and it remains one of the most wallowy cars I have owned. I often wondered what a decent set of springs and shocks might have done to improve matters.

OP - how about telling us more about what its like to drive? Would be interested as I've never heard much about the petrol anniversaries.

[dukebox9reg]

Thats quite a poor carpool effort I must say. Just reads like an advert for selling a car.....hang on.

[BBS-LM]

I have had a 1.8T GTI before, and I hated it in the end, the car just seem to understeer everywhere, no matter what upgrade's you did to the car, the only good part about it was a remap. And very true comment about the engine it's just everything else around it that seems to die, or fall apart, and that includes most of the interior trim.

[hornetrider]

So PH now do ad features for those selling their car? Nice.

[MrGeoff]

I bought one of these back in September as a daily, mine looks exactly the same, same colour but has the diesel engine. I realise I could have bought something else for the money maybe even newer but I just loved the Anniversary model, it looks great, interior is nice and they return great economy and pack a punch in diesel guise.

[pad58]

I have one, though not the Anni (which is the one I wanted) owned the 150 18T since 2003 a couple of remaps and suspension changes it will surprise a lot of haters, good build quality, no rattles or creaks in the 13 year old car, what more do you want?

I get about 26-32 mpg normal everyday driving ,the computer has shown 15 when giving it the beans.
I love it and that's what counts.

[iloveboost]

Despite the silly hard grey pad in the 'better' Recaros, that makes thems slightly less comfortable than the standard seats, these are good! Rarer than the standard Gti so usually a bit more than a like for like standard Gti. Wider 225 not 205 tyres like the standard Gti and slightly firmer suspension. Those wheels are, I think, the nicest fitted to any 1.8T car. Other than the seats good cars that handle/look a bit better than the standard GTi. The Cupra R is a better overall car, but I think this is the best Golf Mk4 overall.

[stevefoster81]

They are what they are I've had my x reg GTI for 5 years with a remap to about 215 horses and some springs always decent tyres. The car has been bomb proof and still pulls with 145K on the clock.

I've had every French hot hatch you can buy for AXGT, 205's, Williams and 182 cup they would not survive the amount of abuse i have given the poor golf.

For the money and a little bit of upgrades they go alright.

Edited by stevefoster81 on Monday 20th January 12:19

[MrGeoff]

pad58 said:

I have one, though not the Anni (which is the one I wanted) owned the 150 18T since 2003 a couple of remaps and suspension changes it will surprise a lot of haters, good build quality, no rattles or creaks in the 13 year old car, what more do you want?

I get about 26-32 mpg normal everyday driving ,the computer has shown 15 when giving it the beans.
I love it and that's what counts.

Have you been around the car and tightened things as I've found a couple of niggling interior rattles. I suspect the Bilstein suspension hasn't helped a great deal.

[pSyCoSiS]

Not too keen on the MK4 Golfs, but the Anniversary is probably one of the better examples to own (apart from the R32, of course!).

I don't think the quality is as good as people make them out to be. For a car which had such a following and status attached to it (especially when they were new), there are many common fail points which actually questions the build quality.

Still, a nice example in the best colour combo for it...

Edited by pSyCoSiS on Wednesday 22 January 11:16

[Matt_N]

B.J.W said:

I had a Mk4 Golf GTi from new in 2002. If I recall, as an import model it came with 180 bhp as opposed to the UK spec 150 bhp. It was a lovely car; looked great in reflex silver and the interior felt like a class (or two) above.

After the Anniversary in 2002 all 1.8T Golfs came with 180bhp and a 6 speed box as standard.

[Remagel2507]

MK4 anniversary is one of my favourite Golfs but for me it would have to be a diesel and they just seem over priced for what they are especially as most are in silver. Not a massive fan of that interior either so I would probably just try and find a standard well specced GT TDI and then add the cosmetic bits myself

[Motorrad]

I had the diesel version. Probably the only good thing about it was the fact I got back nearly all my money after doing nearly 20K miles in it. It wasn't a great car, all the excitement of a wet weekend in Slough.

[Phateuk]

dukebox9reg said:

Thats quite a poor carpool effort I must say. Just reads like an advert for selling a car.....hang on.

I thought exactly the same while reading the article, wondered if anyone else would mention it

[Adz The Rat]

Very poor article, not much in there at all.

The MK4 was by far the worst of the Golf's. Never saw the appeal of the Anniversary, nice seats and thats about it.

[aka_kerrly]

I really can't decide what the purpose of this thread is..

1) A for sale advert for a mk4 golf
2) another opportunity of PH to whine about how rubbish mk4 golfs are
3) Another celebration that someone else has joined the I'm leasing a M135I club